So this is it. The last Outdoors Girl post.

I'm heading off for the family's annual striped bass and bluefish fishing vacation on Chappaquiddick Island and when I return after Labor Day it will be to a desk on the Metro staff, where my Sun career started 23 years ago.

What a great 11 1/2-year romp through the outdoors. What an honor to follow in the footsteps of Rachel Carson, who had this job in the 1930s, fly fishing guru Lefty Kreh and Maryland outdoors editor emeritus Bill Burton. What a pleasure to meet and talk with you on the trails and on the water.

Thanks one and all. And thanks to my editors, who didn't always get where I was going, but had the courage and sense of fun to say, "OK."

Continue reading "Outdoors Girl: End of the trail" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

If I had a wish for the weekend it would be to switch Thursday's and Friday's glorious weather forecast with the Saturday and Sunday damp prognostication.

To borrow from the Beach Boys, wouldn't it be nice? But, to borrow from countless athletes, it is what it is. And to further borrow from a famous president, it depends on what your definition of is is. So here you go, gang, weather or not, five things to do outdoors this weekend:

1) On Saturday or Sunday, go tubing down the Little Gunpowder River with the staff of the Oregon Ridge Nature Center. This is for folks 8 and older, and kids must be accompanied by an adult. The leisurely trip will last from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., so be sure to pack a lunch and wear appropriate clothes and shoes. The cost is $10, with a $2 discount for center members. Tubers will meet along the river in North Baltimore County. To reserve a spot and get directions to the starting point, call 410-887-1815.

Continue reading "Five things to do outdoors this weekend" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

There are two reasons why I like MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow: she likes to fish for striped bass and she’s an infrastructure geek.

Yet, she has not put the two together on her popular weeknight show despite the obvious connection.

Now’s the time, Rach.

Continue reading "Rachel Maddow, the Atlantic infrastructure needs you" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

You have until Wednesday to offer comments on a series of proposals designed to make it harder for poachers to use gill nets in the Chesapeake Bay.

In February, miles of illegal nets filled with 12.6 tons of striped bass were discovered in the waters off Kent Island, touching off a public furor and acting as a catalyst for the enactment of tougher poaching penalties by the General Assembly. An online petition calling for the end of all commercial netting in the bay gathered thousands of signatures.

The Department of Natural Resources responded with an array of proposed regulations to make it easier to track nets and the watermen who deploy them and to monitor check stations that certify and call in catches to DNR's Fisheries Service. 

The state hopes to have the regulations in place for the start of the 2011-2012 gill net season on Dec. 1.

Continue reading "Striped bass regs comment period ends Wednesday" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

We don't have many summer weekends left, so let's make the most of them. Why not step outside and step outside the box?

Here's five things to get you started:

Continue reading "Five things to do outdoors this weekend" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:29 AM | Permalink
        

“Now, the hard work begins.”

That was the assessment of Lynn Fegley, a Maryland fisheries biologist just moments after the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted overwhelmingly last night to send a suite of options to protect menhaden and rebuild the population out for public comment.

Not to say it was a walk in the park to get from the tentative steps in 2005 to cap commercial menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay to admitting menhaden are in trouble to actually doing something to protect the resource.

The decisive action was greeted with grins and applause from audience members, many of whom had sat through years of hearings, hoping for the best but always going home empty handed.

Continue reading "ASMFC takes historic 1st step to protect menhaden" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Can't help but marvel at the USA Today story about people willing to spend bundles for upscale hotel accomodations that feature outdoors sleeping arrangements.

Clearly the rich have too much money and too few brain cells clanging around the the brain pain.

According to the newspaper found on thousands of motel doorsteps, folks really dig pretending to "rough it" as long as they have turn-down service and mints on their pillows.

Some of the examples cited:

Continue reading "Going to hell in an (outdoors) handbasket" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

A plan to reduce next year’s striped bass harvest by up to 40 percent along the Eastern Seaboard was shelved by regulators who worried that the move would be seen as premature without the science to back it up.

Yesterday's decision means that in all likelihood there will be no major changes dictated by ASMFC for Maryland’s 2012 season.

By a vote of 14-2, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission delayed a decision about releasing a multi-option proposal for public comment until November’s annual meeting in Boston.

Continue reading "Commisson delays action on striped bass seasons" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:53 AM | Permalink
        

Guide Ken Penrod, owner of Life Outdoors Unlimited, files his weekly bass fishing report.

He says, "Fishing hasn’t been much fun during the day but the fish are biting at each of the locations that we report on. A 'good plan' is to be on the water by 5:30 a.m. and off the water when the fish shut down. That’s not necessarily true for tidal bass however so play the tides and try for the last two hours of outgoing and two hours of incoming."

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER: two and a half stars; 82 degrees; algae clumps on Virginia side; sick-looking grass; clear with algae stain; 1.0 feet at Point of Rocks.

Fishing has been quite good despite unfavorable ecological conditions, but if you chose to fish during the middle of the day, you may as well stay home. This is a good water level for drift fishing and I suggest Brunswick to Lander or Point of Rocks, and Whites Ferry to Edwards Ferry.

Whites Ferry and Edwards Ferry are fishing pretty much the same, where bass are feeding in deeper holes, submersed ledges and areas where the river bottom is strewn with chunk rocks. I prefer the upriver chances at both locations. We rely on Case Plastics, especially the 4-inch Magic Stik attached to a 2/0 VMC hook and 6-pound test Sufix ProMix monofilament. A medium-action rod will do the trick.

At Lander, either direction is good, but during very low water it’s best to motor upriver just in case your motor fails for some reason. I recommend the Campground Special (teaser) tubes in Penrod Purple; Roadkill; V-8; Troy’s Trigger and KP Candy. Use 1/8th-ounce RAB jigheads and 6-pound test Sufix ProMix or Deep Crankin’ monofilament. Stay low in your boat and make long casts.

Continue reading "Ken Penrod's bass fishing report" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 1:00 PM | Permalink
        

She did it.

North Carolina's Jennifer Pharr Davis has set the record for the fastest thru-hike of the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail, male or female.

Her north-to-south hike, which began atop Maine's Mount Katahdin on June 15, ended Sunday afternoon, when Davis reached the summit of Springer Mountain in Georgia.

It took her 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes. The previous record, set by Andrew Thompson in 2005, was 47 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes.

Davis already held the women's record, which she set in 2008 on her second thru-hike of the AT: 57 days, 8 hours, 13 minutes.  Her first end-to-end adventure, was the subject of her 2010 memoir, "Becoming Odyssa.

Continue reading "Woman breaks Appalachian Trail speed record" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

The coming days will be the tale of two fish and the regulatory process by which the pair is protected and managed.

The future of one fish, the striped bass, is directly tied to the future of the other, menhaden. But you wouldn’t know it by the way the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is acting.

Some commissioners are hair-on-fire ready to vote on Monday to begin the process of adding new protections for striped bass that could change size and creel limits or shorten the fishing season. Forget the fact that the science to back such a decision—a new stock assessment--is still more than a month away from completion.

But the menhaden debate may linger on, as it has for years, or result in approval of some half-hearted measure.

Continue reading "Regulators must save menhaden to help striped bass " »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

David Huffman was just pulling into a cornfield in Pennsylvania when I reached him to talk about fishing.

Huffman, 47, will find out Thursday morning if the striped bass he caught off Rock Hall at the mouth of the Chester River on July 20 is Diamond Jim, worth $20,000, or a cubic zirconium knockoff worth $500.

"I haven't thought about it," said Huffman when I asked him how he'd spend the money. "You have to win first."

Last year, five anglers caught imposters by the time the Diamond Jim contest ended on Labor Day. This year, Huffman is the first.

Continue reading "Seed salesman to get shot at $20,000 rockfish" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 4:16 PM | Permalink
        

Like aquatic Johnny Appleseeds, state fisheries biologists this year are releasing more than 268,500 largemouth bass fry and fingerlings into the Choptank River to replenish the population and improve recreational fishing opportunities.

In a report issued today, Tidal Bass Manager Joe Love outlined the program's progress and releases that are in the works for 2012.

In April before spawning began, adult fish were collected from Mattawoman Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River, and the Northeast and Sassafras rivers and placed in the Joseph Manning and Unicorn Lake state hatcheries. After the spawn, the adults were returned to their habitat and the offspring were released in batches into waterways in late spring and early summer, Love said. 

Continue reading "Stocking program adds bass to Choptank River" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

After years of holding up striped bass as the model of how humans can save a species from extinction, fisheries managers are finding out that the glue holding the model together is beginning to weaken.

Disease and pollution are taking their toll. Poachers steal at will. Government is unwilling to pay for scientific and enforcement muscle. Regulators posture instead of acting boldly.

It is human nature to continue to bask in a singular success long after everyone else has moved on. Ballplayers, actors and politicians extend their careers by reliving "the big one" and finding folks willing to pay for the honor of listening.

Right now, state fisheries managers are proposing a sweeping set of reforms to get a handle on a commercial striped bass fishing industry that the public doesn't trust. Weeks of headlines and photos of illegal nets filled with tons of fish will do that to your image.

But both the watermen and the recreational community are asking the same question: Who will pay the bill?

The answer -- coming in the next week or so -- could doom the entire effort. Meanwhile, the state keeps plugging away at a plan to get the Maryland striped bass fishery in the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coast certified by an independent auditor as sustainable.

Continue reading "The price of striped bass" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Guide Ken Penrod, owner of Life Outdoors Unlimited, files his weekly bass fishing report.

SUSQUEHANNA and JUNIATA RIVERS: two stars; low and clear, with stain along east bank; temperatures in the 80s; 3.3 feet at Harrisburg and 3.4 feet at the Newport gauge on the Juniata.

Fishing from power boats is tough unless you are in a dam influenced area so floating and wading are reliable options. John Cunningham of Riverfront Campground is your man. Reach him at 717-877-2704 to arrange for shuttle service. Smallmouth bass are stacked up in areas where deeper water and bottom structure create perfect habitat with no less than 4 feet of water. Be careful that you don’t drift the boat through the good stuff.

Continue reading "Ken Penrod's bass fishing report" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:24 AM | Permalink
        

I can't in good conscience send anyone outdoors this weekend. Conditions are, as my good friend Arthur Hirsch likes to say, "like standing in the mouth of a dog."

Hot, humid and air foul enough to knock a buzzard off a honey wagon. Land of pleasant living? Not quite.

So what to do? Try one of these indoor activities that will keep your outdoors chops in working order:

1) Watch a movie about the outdoors. "A River Runs Through It," will make you think of clean, clear Montana. "Jeremiah Johnson" has Robert Redford, gorgeous scenery and snow. "The Great Outdoors" has Dan Ackroyd, John Candy and Annette Benning. "Into the Wild" is Alaska--nuff said. "127 Hours," the story of Aron Ralston's amazing self-rescue, will take your mind off our weather and give you something to be thankful for. 

Continue reading "Five outdoors things to do indoors this weekend" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It's been nine years since a recreational fisherman pulled a northern snakehead out of a scrummy pond in Crofton and federal and state experts told us it was an isolated problem.

I heard about it and wrote the first story. It was the last time I was alone, with CNN, NPR and tons of other media outlets camping out until the Department of Natural Resources poisioned the pond and ended the saga--temporarily.

Now, it's hard to think of a watering hole that might not harbor the toothy invasive fish from Asia. The snakehead is becoming one of those cyclical summer stories like pit bull and shark attacks--not at the same time. These stories fill the headlines and airwaves for a few weeks and then disappear just as suddenly.

Just this week, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center announced that biologists netted a 23-inch, egg-bearing female in the Rhode River, just south of Annapolis, while conducting their annual fish sampling.

Don Cosden, the assistant fisheries director for DNR, says he has other reports of snakehead sightings. And fishing guide Mike Starrett sent me a photo of his latest catch (17 pounds, 30-inches) taken Wednesday night in Mattawoman Creek--more on that in a moment.

Continue reading "Pit bulls in space. Snakeheads, well, everywhere" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Serial poacher Joey Janda was charged with crabbing without a license and other offenses after Natural Resources Police observed him shortly after noon on Friday crabbing from a homemade boat in Harris Creek off Tilghman Island.

He also was charged with possession of suspected heroin and paraphernalia. Officers seized his boat. 

Janda, 25, of Wittman was charged on June 19 for having undersized crabs and has been ordered to appear in Talbot District Court on Aug. 18. He has been charged more than 60 times over the last decade with natural resources violations and been convicted of poaching oysters, striped bass and crabs. He is still under a three-year license suspension handed down by a district judge in February 2009 and a five-year suspension of his tidal fish license by the Department of Natural Resources that began last January. 

Continue reading "Former waterman busted for poaching again" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

When man puts northern snakeheads -- a nasty invasive fish from Asia -- into Maryland's waterways, chefs make sushi, stir fries and grilled fillets.

These days, watermen are getting more per pound for snakeheads ($2.50) than striped bass ($1.50) as a result of a Department of Natural Resources marketing program that makes a connection between supply and demand.

Maryland is trying to contain the spread of the fish, first detected in a Crofton pond nearly a decade ago and now found in many Potomac River tributaries. A prize giveaway by Bass Pro Shops and a tournament failed to make a dent in the burgeoning population.

Continue reading "Snakeheads on Maryland's menu?" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Before the heat returns with a vengence next week to bottle us up inside, take advantage of the fresh air. Here are a few suggestions to get you breathing deeply:

1) Catching a beautiful trout or even a feisty panfish can take your breath away. If you've always wanted to learn how to fish, or just want a refresher course, go to Montgomery County's gorgeous Seneca Creek State Park Saturday and take part in the "Take Me Fishing: A Family Friendly Beginner Course," 9:30 a.m. During the two-hour tutorial, visitors will learn how to cast a line, bait a hook and tie basic knots. A limited supply of fishing rods and hooks will be available. Anglers over 16 must have a freshwater fishing license. Park admission rates apply $2 for Maryland residents; $3 for non-residents. Details: 301-924-2127.

Continue reading "Five things to do outdoors this weekend" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

The state is expanding its effort to involve judges and prosecutors in natural resources cases, setting up a second program at the district court in Snow Hill.

Last year, Chief Judge Ben Clyburn agreed to a pilot program at the district court in Annapolis that clustered all cases brought by Natural Resources Police on a single day, and Anne Arundel State's Attorney Frank Weathersbee assigned a prosecutor versed in the specialized law to handle them.

By everyone's account the test program has been a huge success, prompting Clyburn and NRP Col. George Johnson to look for other sites.

"We wanted to expand on the Eastern Shore because we're having more problems there," said Johnson. "It's what we asked for and what we got."

Continue reading "State starts second court for natural resource offenders" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Maryland Ornithological Society has started a reward fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot and killed a northern groshawk, believed to be part of the state's only breeding pair, and left three chicks to die near Savage River State Forest.

The birders have $800 in hand and MOS official Dave Webb says the amount is expected to increase as clubs send out their newsletters.

The Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Foundation also has offered a $1,000 reward.

Natural Resources Police is still investigating the death of the bird.

Continue reading "Reward to find goshawk killer grows" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The National Park Service is having two meetings this week as it prepares an environmental report on extending the Western Maryland Rail Trail 15 miles From Pearre Station in Washington County to the Paw Paw tunnel in Allegany County.

On Wednesday night at 6 p.m., officials will take comments on four alternatives at Hancock Town Hall, 126 West High St. The next evening, same time, the meeting will be held at Paw Paw School, 60 Pirate Circle, Paw Paw, W. Va.

The proposal process began late last year and the selection of an alternative is expected by late fall.

Continue reading "Rail trail extension to be discussed" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Thirteen boaters have died. Three swimmers have drowned at state public facilities.

That's the 2011 statistical picture of Maryland's summer on the water as of Friday, the start of another weekend. I'm still looking up 2010 swimming numbers, but this year is tied with last year in boating fatalities. And we still have eight weeks to go until Labor Day.

You'd think with the state well on its way to setting new marks for mayhem, folks might wise up. Might pause, reflect and decide to recreate more responsibly.

But you'd be wrong.

"I'm really at a loss," says Natural Resources Police Sgt. Art Windemuth, whose job it is to write up the press releases on water fatalities and speak to reporters. "I don't know how to drive the message home."

"It's definitely the mindset that these tragedies happen to others," says Lt. Col. Chris Bushman, the No. 2 at the Maryland Park Service. "People throw caution to the wind."

Continue reading "Take responsibility for yourself on, in the water" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Is it my imagination or is summer truly screaming by like a NASCAR racer with Kyle Busch at the wheel? By one benchmark--the solstice--we're just three weeks in.

But if you count summer as that 100-day window between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we're closing in on the halfway point.

Jeez, Louise.

So, don't put off the stuff you thought you'd leave for later this summer because later this summer is here and the finish line ain't that far off. Try one of these to get your motor running:

1) On Saturday or Sunday, go tubing down the Little Gunpowder River with the Oregon Ridge Nature Center. Bring lunch and wear clothing and shoes that can get wet. The group will convene riverside at 10 a.m. in northern Baltimore County--directions will be provided. The day ends at about 3. This activity is suitable for ages 8 and up; children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. The cost is $10 ($8 for members) per person. Space is limited, so call 410-887-1815.

Continue reading "Five things to do outdoors this weekend" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink